A device for handling a semiconductor wafer in an epitaxy reactor has a susceptor; longitudinal holes extending through the susceptor; a wafer lifting shaft; wafer lifting pins guided through the longitudinal holes; a susceptor carrying shaft; susceptor carrying arms; susceptor support pins; guide sleeves anchored in the susceptor carrying arms; and guide elements protruding from the guide sleeves which, at upper ends, have bores into which wafer lifting pins are inserted, and which can be raised and lowered together with the wafer lifting pins by the wafer lifting shaft.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A device for handling a semiconductor wafer in an epitaxy reactor, comprising: a susceptor; longitudinal holes extending through the susceptor; a wafer lifting shaft; wafer lifting pins made of silicon carbide, which are guided through the longitudinal holes; a susceptor carrying shaft; susceptor carrying arms; susceptor support pins; guide sleeves, which are anchored in the susceptor carrying arms; and guide elements consisting of quartz and slidable within the guide sleeves, which protrude upwardly from the guide sleeves and, at upper ends thereof, have bores into which the wafer lifting pins are inserted, and which can be raised and lowered together with the wafer lifting pins by means of the wafer lifting shaft, wherein the guide elements have a different thermal expansion as compared to the wafer lifting pins, and the wafer lifting pins and guide elements are dimensioned such that the wafer lifting pins are connected to the guide elements in a clamping fashion at temperatures greater than 900° C.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor carrying arms form a one-piece star-shaped element, which is screwed onto an upper end of the susceptor carrying shaft.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the clamping force is sufficient so as to prevent radial play of the wafer lifting pins.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wafer lifting pins self-center upon inserting into bores of the guide elements at room temperature.
5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising upright elements, which are connected height-adjustably to the susceptor carrying arms at the outer ends of the latter and have axial bores into which the susceptor support pins are inserted, the susceptor support pins having spherically rounded heads.
6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising elongate blind holes on a rear side of the susceptor for receiving the spherically rounded heads of the susceptor support pins, the length and width of the blind holes increasing in a direction of the opening of the blind holes.
7. A method for producing a semiconductor wafer having an epitaxial layer, comprising: providing a device of claim 1 an epitaxy reactor; placing a semiconductor wafer on the wafer lifting pins; placing the semiconductor wafer on the susceptor by lowering the wafer lifting pins; depositing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer to form an epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer; raising the epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer from the susceptor by raising the wafer lifting pins; and removing the semiconductor wafer with the epitaxial layer from the epitaxy reactor.
8. A method for producing a semiconductor wafer having an epitaxial layer, comprising: providing a device of claim 2 an epitaxy reactor; placing a semiconductor wafer on the wafer lifting pins; placing the semiconductor wafer on the susceptor by lowering the wafer lifting pins; depositing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer to form an epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer; raising the epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer from the susceptor by raising the wafer lifting pins; and removing the semiconductor wafer with the epitaxial layer from the epitaxy reactor.
9. A method for producing a semiconductor wafer having an epitaxial layer, comprising: providing a device of claim 3 in an epitaxy reactor; placing a semiconductor wafer on the wafer lifting pins; placing the semiconductor wafer on the susceptor by lowering the wafer lifting pins; depositing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer to form an epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer; raising the epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer from the susceptor by raising the wafer lifting pins; and removing the semiconductor wafer with the epitaxial layer from the epitaxy reactor.
10. A method for producing a semiconductor wafer having an epitaxial layer, comprising: providing a device of claim 5 in an epitaxy reactor; placing a semiconductor wafer on the wafer lifting pins; placing the semiconductor wafer on the susceptor by lowering the wafer lifting pins; depositing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer to form an epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer; raising the epitaxially coated semiconductor wafer from the susceptor by raising the wafer lifting pins; and removing the semiconductor wafer with the epitaxial layer from the epitaxy reactor.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the epitaxial layer is deposited on a semiconductor wafer of monocrystalline silicon.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the wafer lifting pin which is inserted into the bore of the guide elements is cylindrical, and the bore of the guide element which receives the lifting pin is in the form of a cylindrical bore.
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July 3, 2017
April 12, 2022
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